Bicycle



v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EDGAR, oE MOBILE, ALABAMA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 550,490, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed J'une 8, 1895. Serial No. 552,143. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDGAR, of Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in bicycles.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for obtaining an increased leverage at the points of greatest pressure on the treadles, whereby greatly accelerated speed is secured. This I accomplish by providing cams or eccentrics, which are engaged by and control themovement of the treadlelevers. The latter are fitted in guideways on wheels of the drive-shaft and have flanges or shoulders which engage the periphery of the cam, said iianges or shoulders extending through slots in said wheels.

The invention comprises the novel features of construction and also the detail combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a view in side elevation with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line cc x, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line a' z, Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a portion of a bicycle-frame, the bar a leading to front of the machine, and a being the rear stay or brace bar.

B is a rotary shaft, which fits snug in a cylinder b, supported by frame A at the point of union of bars a and a'. Upon the ends of this shaft are keyed wheels bf' and b2, the form er being a sprocket-wheel, with which the drive-chain hg'is designed to engage. In each of these wheels is a slot b4, which extends beyond opposite sides of the shaft. On the outer face of each wheel is a guideway b5, which consists of two parallel strips b, attached to the wheel-face along the line of the slot and provided with beveled or overhanging edges t7.

C C designate two cams or eccentrics tifrictional rollers may be attached to these flanges or shoulders.

In practice the cams or eccentrics are constructed and set according to the length of stroke it is desired to obtain, and they are always'so arranged that the maximum leverage will be had at the point of greatest weight or pressure-namely, in the forward downward stroke. The cams permitthe levers to move or slide downward as the weight or pressure on the treadles is increased, and in thereturn or upward movements of the treadle the leverage is decreased-that is, the sliding 1evers are drawn inward, so to speak, bythe cams or eccentrics acting on the iianges or shoulders thereof. Y 1

The advantages ofI my invention are apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains, and it will be specially observed thatby means thereof ease of operation is obtained, as well as an acceleration of speed.

I claim as my inventionl. A bicycle having an operating shaft, wheels mounted thereon having slots therein, fixed cams or eccentrics adjacent to said wheels, and sliding treadle-levers movable on said wheels having flanges or shoulders movable in said slots and engaging said cams or eccentrics, substantially as set forth.

2. A bicycle having an operating shaft, wheels mounted thereon having slots therein,

guide-ways on said wheels, fixed cams or ec- IOO Wheels on said shaft having slot-s andguidespeoloaton in the presence of two subscribways, and treadle -level's movable in said ing Witnesses.

ulde wf a` s and hm m D anbes o1 shouloels WILLIAM EDGAR extendmg through szud slots and engaglng 5 said @funs or eecentrcs, substantially as set Vtnesses:

forth. FIELDING VAUGHAN,

In testimony whereof I have signed this M. E. THOMSON, 

